


Disclosures (previously "Barisi fic #1")

by adrianna_m_scovill



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-30
Updated: 2017-12-30
Packaged: 2019-02-24 00:29:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,663
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13201824
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/adrianna_m_scovill/pseuds/adrianna_m_scovill
Summary: Barba and Carisi disclose their relationship to Benson and Rollins.





	Disclosures (previously "Barisi fic #1")

“Everything alright?” Benson asked, tipping her head to look at him as they walked.

Barba glanced at her. “We do need to talk,” he said, sighing as he looked down at his coffee cup. Their shoulders brushed as they walked, slowly, along the sidewalk. Their breaths fogged the air before them; their cheeks and noses were pink from the cold.

“Want to meet up tonight? I can have Lucy watch Noah—”

“Not tonight, no, I have…plans.”

Benson stopped walking and, after a moment, so did Barba, turning to face her. “You know you can tell me anything, Rafa,” she said, and Barba’s lips quirked in a crooked smile.

“I know,” he answered. “I just don’t want to make your life more complicated.”

Benson rolled her eyes and laughed. “I don’t know what I’d do with a simple life.”

“You deserve that, Liv,” he told her, his expression serious. “And I know you’re short-staffed…”

She raised her eyebrows and waited.

“I can’t work with Dom—with Carisi anymore.”

“Come on, he’s not _that_ annoying,” she said, and Barba laughed.

“Oh, believe me, he is,” he answered. He was smiling, but his eyes were serious as their gazes held and he said, “Liv, I can’t help myself.”

“Wow,” she said, her lips stretching into a genuine smile. “I’ve never seen you like this, Counselor. I think you’re blushing.”

He looked away, sniffing. “It’s the cold air,” he said.

“Right,” she answered, sliding her arm under his to link elbows. They started down the sidewalk, their steps in sync. “You won’t be able to work together on cases—at least not as detective and lawyer. Lucky for you he passed the bar.”

“That might be too distracting,” Barba said. “Besides, Dom would make a great lawyer, but he wants to stay in your squad.”

“Dom, huh?” she smirked. “Dominick ‘Call Me Sonny’ Carisi?”

“What can I say, I’m a rebel.”

“You and Carisi,” she mused as they walked. “I have to say, it’s about time.”

He shot her a sideways look. “I thought you’d be more surprised.”

“Please. You don’t think I recognized those little jabs as—”

“Not about me, about him,” he interrupted.

“He’s followed you around since he met you,” she said. “You didn’t think we saw the looks?”

“Maybe I was afraid I was imagining…” He trailed off, sipped his coffee, and sniffed again. “I never thought I’d find…something like this, Liv,” he finally said.

She tightened her grip on his arm, pressing closer as they walked. “I’m happy for you, Rafa,” she said.

“I love you, Liv,” he answered, and they smiled at each other.

 

*       *      *

 

“Hey, Amanda, you got a sec?”

Rollins looked up at Carisi. “Sure,” she said, setting down her pen. “What’s up?”

Carisi glanced around the squad room. “Walk with me?”

Rollins also looked around as she got to her feet. She followed Carisi toward the vending machines, where he stopped and gestured, asking if she wanted anything. She shook her head as he slid a dollar bill into the machine.

“Look, I owe you an apology,” Carisi said, straightening after retrieving the package from the bottom door of the machine.

“It’s not—”

“Hear me out, please,” he said, running a hand over his face. “I got jealous when I saw you with that guy, and I acted like an ass. There’s no excuse.”

“Sonny,” she said, lowering her voice and glancing around. “We’re partners, and friends. I just…don’t feel…”

“I know,” he said. “I know, that’s not it. I’m in a relationship.”

“Oh,” she answered, surprised. “I don’t—Why didn’t you tell me?”

“That’s the thing,” he said. “That’s what I was jealous of—I haven’t been able to tell anyone.”

“You can tell me anything,” she answered. “You know that, right?”

“It’s someone we work with,” he said.

“She works here?” she asked, again surprised.

“He,” he answered.

Rollins blinked, taking a moment to process. Carisi waited. “I didn’t know—Wait,” she said, realization dawning in her expression. “It’s Barba, isn’t it?” she asked.

It was Carisi’s turn to be surprised. “Is it that obvious?” he asked.

“Well, it wasn’t—How come you never told me you were, you know, into guys?”

Carisi smiled. “I didn’t know I was, until I met him,” he said. “No one was more surprised than—” He broke off, looking past her, and she saw the change in his expression. She checked over her shoulder and saw Benson and Barba walking in together. Like a heat-seeking missile, Barba’s gaze almost immediately found Carisi’s.

Benson and Barba started toward them, and Rollins leaned toward Carisi to whisper, “You’re blushing _and_ fidgeting. Play it cool, Sonny.”

“I can’t,” he muttered.

“Detectives,” Barba said, with a quick nod.

“Counselor,” Carisi returned. “Morning, Lieu,” he added to Benson.

“Barba, Liv,” Rollins said, as she and Benson exchanged an amused look.

“We’ve got a call,” Benson said. “Carisi, Rollins, Fin’s on his way, I need you to meet him there.”

“Sure thing, boss,” Carisi answered. He looked at Barba, unable to keep his gaze away. Barba’s lips quirked in a conspiratorial smile that made Carisi’s belly tighten. He cleared his throat. “But, uh, Lieutenant, I need to tell you something. Not now, it can wait, but…”

“We can talk about it later, Carisi,” Benson said. “Go.”

“Right. Sorry, yeah,” he answered, tossing his bag of chips onto the table for whoever might want them. “Ready, Rollins?” As he walked past the ADA, his arm brushed against Barba’s, for just a moment, and then Benson and Barba were alone.

“I should get to the office,” Barba said, trying to pretend like he wasn’t watching Carisi walk down the hallway.

“He wants to talk to me about you,” Benson answered, and Barba’s gaze cut back to her face. “Do you know what that means?” she added with a smile.

“It means more than you can imagine, Liv,” he murmured, emotion shining in his eyes.

 

*       *      *

 

Barba walked outside with his collar turned up over his ears, his shoulders hunched against the blast of cold air that greeted him. He held his briefcase in one gloved hand; his other hand was buried in his coat pocket. He glanced up at the sky as a few flecks of snow swirled around him. It was late, and the sidewalk was nearly deserted.

He took only a few steps and stopped, spotting the figure leaning against the lamppost just ahead of him. His heart fluttered in his chest, and he felt a smile slowly spreading across his face. He started toward the other man, his steps slow and deliberate. He’d forgotten the coldness of the air around them.

Carisi straightened and, hands in his pockets, strolled forward to meet him. They stopped a foot apart, close enough for their breaths to mingle into a single cloud.

“Rafael,” Carisi said.

“Dominick,” Barba returned, trying not to let too much of his giddiness show.

“So, I talked to the Lieutenant,” Carisi told him. His expression was serious, and Barba knew that the conversation with Benson had been a difficult step for Carisi. “She already knew about us.”

“I’m sorry if I—”

Carisi stepped closer and put his gloved palm against Barba’s chest. Barba’s breath caught in his throat. “I’m not upset that you told her first. I know she’s your best friend and you respect her too much to keep a possible conflict of interest from her. Whether she knew or not, I needed to tell her for myself.” Their gazes held, and neither of them breathed.

After a moment, Barba lifted his hand and covered Carisi’s, stepping closer still until their hands were pressed between their chests. “I know what a big deal it is that you told her—that you told anyone. That what we have might be important enough to you…”

“There’s no _might be_ , Raf,” Carisi said. “The selfish part of me wants to keep us a secret, but the rest of me wants to shout from the rooftops that I’ve fallen in love with the cutest lawyer—”

“Cutest?” Barba cut in, his eyes twinkling in the city lights.

“Sexiest,” Carisi amended, smirking.

“Better. But what was the other thing you said?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Carisi said, rolling his eyes. “You heard me. I love you.”

Barba swallowed, blinking back the tears stinging his eyes. He dropped his briefcase to the sidewalk and cupped his hand to the back of Carisi’s head as the detective’s lips met his. They moved their clasped hands to the side so they could press closer together, until they could feel their hearts pounding in unison.

Carisi’s mouth was opened to Barba’s, and their tongues met as heat exploded through them. The snow was falling around them, spinning in the breeze, but they didn’t feel the cold. Soon their heads were spinning faster than the flakes of snow, and they broke apart, breathing heavily, their shiny gazes locked.

“I never expected to find someone who could make me feel the way you do, Dom,” Barba said. “You make me feel like the luckiest guy in the world.”

“Don’t get all sappy on me, Counselor,” Carisi said with a smile.

“Oh, you know me, Detective,” Barba returned with that lopsided smile that Carisi loved so much.

“I do,” Carisi answered. “Tough on the outside, all mushy inside.”

“Don’t tell anyone, I’ll lose my street cred,” Barba joked.

Carisi laughed. “Let’s get out of here, yeah? We can go to your place, I’ll cook.”

“Hey,” Barba said, putting a hand on Carisi’s arm to stop him as the detective bent to pick up the briefcase. Carisi hesitated, straightening, a small frown creasing his forehead. “You know I love you, too, right?” Barba asked. He looked more vulnerable than Carisi had ever seen him.

“I know,” Carisi answered. He bent his head and pressed his lips to Barba’s. This kiss was quick, and chaste, but laced with promise. Holding Barba’s gaze, he said, “Come on, let’s go home.”


End file.
